Team USA Basketball is in flux right now.
Only 12 years and three Olympiads ago, the first Dream Team dominated the world stage in Barcelona.
With names such as Jordan, Bird and Magic, the 1992 squad defeated their opponents by an average of 44.5 points per game. It was the first time ever that NBA players took part in the world’s largest sporting event.
At that point, the assumption was the United States would continue to stay atop the basketball world as long as NBA players played. There was no way countries from Europe or Asia would be able to compete with the Americans.
Many countries were simply defeated before they even stepped on the court. The aura surrounding the professional athletes who they watched on television was
satisfying enough for them. Playing on the same court was an honor in itself.
In fact, back in 1992, it was customary that the opposing team would be seen taking photos with their American basketball idols minutes before tip-off.
However, today, that fear of playing the United States in basketball has vanished. Some players are leaving the team in droves due to personal agendas.
New Jersey forward Kenyon Martin declined an invitation because he said he was more worried about signing a new contract this summer. Martin told the New York Daily News a week ago that getting a multimillion dollar deal is “the most important thing” to him right now.
Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett and Los Angeles’ Karl Malone and Shaquille O’Neal both have expressed disinterest as their teams are currently in the midst of the playoffs.
This comes two years after the United States was embarrassed at the World Championships, finishing in sixth place and losing three of their last four games.
NBA players vowed to return with their best representatives at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. They vowed to bring back the United States to prominence and back on top of the world.
And now, what happened?
Why are they leaving?
Did they get over what occurred two years ago and already forget the embarrassment that was felt afterward?
Sure, the threat of terrorism is a big issue at the moment, and many of the athletes are avoiding traveling overseas as long as they can help it. You cannot fault them for valuing their own safety.
Houston’s Yao Ming of China, though, told The Associated Press that he believes his safety will not be an issue.
Back to basketball: You can’t forget, though, that the level of competition has significantly been more equal year after year since 1992. An influx of foreigners are showcasing their skills and are quickly becoming noticed as not only the best of their country, but the best in the world.
Ming and Sacramento’s Peja Stojakovic of Serbia-Montenegro are two examples of foreign players who are taking the NBA game by storm. They were two of the four foreigners who received votes for the league’s Most Valuable Player award this year.
During the 2003-04 season, more than 45 foreigners earned a spot on NBA squads with that number expected to continue to grow. And only six of the league’s 29 teams failed to have a non-American on their roster.
Nevertheless, if the best of the United States played against the best from any country, many would agree that the Americans would come out on top for the majority of the time.
It’s just too bad many of them won’t be competing.